Detroit Federation of Teachers

April 5 Hands Off! Rally in Detroit

DFT Executive Board Members, Francis Donner and Marcus Walton, participate in the Detroit event along with other DFT members. They said it was a great turnout in spite of the gloomy skies.

April 5 Hands Off! Protest in Detroit

DFT Member, Marcella Lane, says "it was a beautiful thing" to see so many turn out at the DIA for the march to Grand Circus Park on April 5th.

April 5 Hands Off! in Canton/Dearborn

DFT members protested with these state representatives in the Hands Off! rally: Matt Koleszar, Ranjeev Puri, and Reggie Miller (Canton) and Erin Byrnes (Dearborn).

April 5 Hands Off! in Ferndale

Ferndale was a location for the Hands On! rally with DFT members in attendance.

Election results are in!

Ballots were counted on Sunday, Dec. 3 and the results are in. Click here to see full list and the calendar for run-off election.

Join the Fight for Retirement Security

Republicans in the Michigan Senate are pushing Senate Bill 102, legislation that would close the Michigan Public School Retirement System to newly hired school employees.

This attack on our pensions is being led by anti-working family interests and billionaires—including Betsy DeVos, the U.S. president-elect’s pick for Secretary of Education. DeVos and others like her believe that workers should only have access to risky 401(k)-style retirement plans. We know there will be a serious attempt made to ban traditional pensions in the public sector, and it’s a slippery slope!

AFT Michigan and MEA Presidents respond to selection of Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education

LANSING — The selection of Betsy DeVos to serve as U.S. Secretary of Education is an affront to students and education professionals in Michigan, according to the leaders of Michigan’s school employee unions, the American Federation of Teachers Michigan and the Michigan Education Association.

DeVos brings no credible experience or expertise in education, but rather has pushed for the privatization and dismantling of public education at every turn. She rejects evidence, research and the experiences of front-line educators in pursuit of policy changes that only serve to profit billionaires.

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Affordable health care agreement for DFT members

The Detroit Federation of Teachers and the Coalition of Unions fought for and won an agreement that guarantees affordable access to quality healthcare and provides more options for school employees and their families. Read more from DFT president Ivy Bailey.

DFT Calls on the District to Guarantee Safe, Healthy Schools

In response to news of an unspecified threat targeting Detroit public schools, Detroit Federation of Teachers leaders are urging schools transition manager, Judge Steven Rhodes, to meet their obligation to ensure safe and secure environments for students and educators.

Read the letter from DFT to Judge Rhodes.

Detroit Civil Rights Lawsuit Makes National News

Check out this article in the Los Angeles Times on the class action lawsuit filed against Gov. Rick Snyder and state education officials on behalf of Detroit’s students and families. DFT leaders participated in a press conference on Sept. 13 announcing the lawsuit. Read the full article here.